2ne1’s Interview, Part II (10asia)

Online magazine 10asia published an interview with 2ne1 on August 5. Read on for second half; the first half is posted here.

2ne1

10asia (10): How did you learn to dance, Minzy? Even before your debut, your video was a subject of conversation.
Minzy: I really enjoyed dancing when I was young. I used to watch and copy the dance to YG Family’s “Fly Gentleman” music video. I learned more and more about hip-hop that way. In elementary school, I even attended a dance academy. I learned hip-hop dance first.

10: It’s beyond the level of being possible simply from learning it.
Minzy: I kept practicing how to freestyle dance. I practiced freestyle constantly for two years. When I went into the practice room, I’d just turn on the music and dance. When I dance like that, I don’t even know how I’m doing it.
Bom: She can make new moves when listening to music to the point that I’m awed. I’m surprised everytime I see it.

10: Did you directly make the chest-popping move in “Fire”?
Minzy: It came out as an ad lib while filming the music video and it was included.

10: Music videos must reflect your personal opinions a lot.
CL: Director Seo Hyun Seung has worked on our videos since “Fire” so we have a very good mutual understanding.

10: G-Dragon appears in the music video too.
CL: He appeared for just a moment when he came to visit, but that was included.
Minzy: And the director used it. (Laughs.)

10: You met like that to film the music video, and the debut was decided. How did you feel when you went up on stage for the first time?
CL: It was really chaotic because President [Yang], Teddy sunbae, G-Dragon and Daesung sunbaes came that day, but I felt really secure. We said, “Let’s play!” like usual and went up.

10: Is there a specific moment following your debut when you thought, “We’ve really become 2ne1”?
Bom: I get that feeling a lot when watching 2ne1 TV.
CL: It seems pretty natural because we’ve been together for years, although we just recently became a group.

10: But I think it must still be different as a group compared to when you were trainees. You live together too.
Bom: Maybe it’s because we each came from living abroad, but we get our own privacy and don’t intrude on each other. Everyone has courtesy. Rather, we feel each other’s strengths a lot. CL is really cute and has a heart of respect for others.
CL: It still feels like we’ve just gone to visit. Since we spend so much time out, we just wash up and sleep when we go in. We eat, then chat while lying in our beds. I’d like it if we could continue to get along as well as we do now.

10: Minzy is the youngest and hasn’t been able to participate in [overnight] school trips much, so I would think that residence life feels very peculiar.
Minzy: I haven’t been able to go on overnight retreats since sixth grade. It feels like I’m on a study excursion.

Minzy

10: The general style [of 2ne1]seems boyish, but Bom’s [style] is feminine.
Bom: To be honest, I was worried about that part but I like short skirts so it’s okay. It is difficult to dance but I just imagine myself to look pretty when dancing in those clothes.

10: Discussion about your styling comes up on 2ne1 TV. There’s a lot of interest regarding that area.
CL: It’s such good fortune that the people who are styling us right now are G-Dragon sunbae’s friends. They’re so good at appealing to senses that they can express the style that we want well for us. I’m happy that I got help on how a girl can wear men’s styles prettily like I’ve wanted to do from before but didn’t know how. On occasion I create and wear small men’s clothes.

10: Your stage costumes and productions give off a very strong vibe, but what are your actual personalities like?
CL: We’re often told that we’re like young boys when we fool around. But we’re…. girls….. (laughs).

10: You seem surprisingly innocent. Are you not worried about being misunderstood?
Dara: I like how another identity enters when I’m on stage to make me seem like a different person. I think the more different you seem from your actual self, the more attractive you appear.

10: Do you yearn for an ordinary everyday life?
CL: I don’t feel a significant interest towards such things.

10: What’s most fun?
Bom: Chatting. Talking about food. Talking about music, in particular.
CL: Singing and thinking about music is the most fun. And studying colouring!

10: Study colouring?
CL: By buying a colouring study book. Outlining in marker. And then I colour in the inside with pencil crayons.
Bom: I think we’re becoming more and more like each other as we live together. And adopting each other’s strange characteristics too.

10: Bom, you seem to have a bashful personality.
Bom: I’m bashful when it comes to compliments.

10: Is the company (YG) stingy with compliments?
CL: President [Yang Hyun Suk] isn’t the type to express [compliments] much. He does say that we’re doing well when do well but….. we were raised quite tough. (Laughs.)

10: Is it possible to go on stage with the concept of playing after practising so rigourously?
CL: [I’d say that] President [Yang] is gruff, not strict. And he puts in so much effort supporting us from behind. He tells us not to think about matching choreography while on stage, but just do what we want. But focus during practice in order to fix things for the future.

10: Does the president (Yang Hyun Suk) wear that jean hat when he comes to your lessons?
CL: Of course! (Laughs.)

10: When watching 2ne1 TV, there are times when you get out of control. (Laughs.)
CL: There’s a time when we filmed [a clip] ourselves and sent it in. We directly filmed ourselves playing in the car with “In the Club” on, but they said it’s not ___ to be broadcast.
Dara: Rehearsals aren’t boring because we always practice as if we’re playing.
CL: During practice or in ordinary life, Minzy is the most mature (adult-like).

10: Are the unnis’ jokes harsh?
Minzy: They’re fun. All of their personalities are outrageous and bizarre.

10: Who’s the most bizarre out of the three?
Minzy: ……. All of them are slightly…
CL: Hey, hey! (Laughs.)

10: There’s word that CL is senseless with gadgets (appliances).
CL: It’s not true. I know how!
Minzy: She says that she knows how but….
Bom: Surprisingly, she’s been good at using her laptop to record and work.
Dara: But with internet and that stuff…
Minzy: She just doesn’t know unfamiliar keys that well, but she’s good. (Laughs.)
CL: The hardest thing is to change the [computer] background picture. I can’t figure that out.
Dara: Once she puts up a background, she struggles because she doesn’t know how to change it.
CL: Ah, [Dara] unni made [the background] a picture of her once so it was difficult.

10: Isn’t Sandara the type to keep showing people photos of herself?
Dara: Aht!
Minzy: So far as to steal our handphones while we’re eating and switch the [display] picture to one of herself.
Dara: They get surprised when they see it later.

Dara

10: Stories about a stuffed rabbit came up on 2ne1 TV. And CL likes the Sponge Bob doll.
CL: We haven’t been together [with the stuffed animals] because they’re being laundered after getting drinks spilled on them. (Laughs.) I received it as a gift recently but I’ve been taking it around because I like it a lot. Like a spirit friend. Dara unni always takes care to bring her stuffed rabbit [doll]; Bom unni, her health foods. Minzy’s nickname is Stitch from Lilo & Stitch. She always sleeps with that doll by her head.

10: After talk about western roe deer’s navel came up on 2ne1 TV, I was wondering what kind of health foods would be worth recommending to Bom.
Bom: Ah, I talked about health foods too much…. truthfully, I do take care to eat them well. My parents ordered deer umbilici for me. I think it’s good for the body. (Laughs.) I like stuff like red ginseng and wild ginseng. I recommend and even feed them to others.
Dara: It’s really bitter. It’s tortuous to eat it, but Bom eats it well while smiling.

10: Your living quarters are really nice. Don’t you feel burdened by the company’s big expectations?
CL: I saw Big Bang sunbaes’ first residence once. It was really inferior, so compared to that I’m thankful. It’s so spacious that I’m trying to figure out how to fill up [the space].
Minzy: It’s fun. It really feels like I’ve come to a hotel.
Dara: It’s a positive burden, and I think we’ve subconsciously been increasing our rehearsal time.

10: Although you’re trying to form the group’s colour (atmosphere, style) at this point in time, I suppose that you each have an independent dream of what you’d like to show in the far future.
CL: We want to be a group that evolves every time. We want to constantly show a new image and absorb diverse songs to match our colour and express them differently each time. If our colour is decided upon, I think it’ll get boring. For now, I want to keep doing new things as 2ne1.

10: Minzy, you have dance etched into you. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Minzy: I think that it’d be nice if I could learn how to be a singer who continues to be able to play well on stage. Singing, rap, everything. I’m also studying to write lyrics and compose; I want to work as a composer too. And show more performances.

10: Sandara seems like she’s ambitious to act?
Dara: That’s why I attempted to act in the “I Don’t Care” music video like a traditional drama. (Laughs.) I’d like to challenge myself with a drama later on, not now.

10: Are you considering acting, Bom?
Bom: If the opportunity comes up. If not now, in later days. If we were to do solo activities, shouldn’t I do a solo album first? Although I don’t know when that will be.

10: Last question. What three things would you take to a deserted island?
CL: I’ll have to think about it a little…. an airplane!
Dara: What’s that. Ah… I guess internet wouldn’t work there.
Minzy: A cellphone won’t work either….
Dara: A laptop. A tube. And one friend. Then there would music, and it wouldn’t be boring.
Bom: An iPod and a phone? And health foods. (Laughs.)
Minzy: An iPod…. I’m going to take seeds to grow fruit there and survive. And a knife!
CL: I’m just not going to take anything. Just my body needs to go there. It’s all useless if the airplane’s not full of fuel. (Laughs.)
Bom: You’re cool. (Laughs.) (KP’s note: Koreans use the term “cool” a little differently….)
Minzy: So cool! (Laughs.)